Control switch mechanism



June 30, 1931. L. o. FRENCH 1,312,647

CONTROL SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Sept. 26, 1929 f I 53 r36 /N VE N TOR M Patented June 30, 1931 LOUIS O. FRENCH, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN CONTROL SWITCH MECHANISM Application filed September 26, 1929. Serial 170. 395,365.

The invention relates to control switch mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a control switch mechanism wherein the contacts are caused to be engaged for varying relative periods of time by the interposition between one of said contacts and an enginecontrolled member of a shiftable member which on being shifted changes the point of engagement between the engine-controlled member and cont-act and thus acts to vary the duration of the circuit-closing period. An example of the use of such switch mechanism is in connection with the control circuit of 1 an electromagnetically-controlled fuel injection or feeding system wherein the duration of current flow controls the amount of fuel furnished to an internal combustion engine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch mechanism of the character above described associated with a speed-responsive device which automatically controls the time at which the switch mechanism is operated and the duration of the circuit-closin periods.

he invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of switch mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-42 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of certain of the parts, with parts shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation view of one of the parts.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 6 designates a casing, 7 a plate secured thereto by screws 8, 9 a timer shaft, 10 a coupling member secured by a pin 11 to the shaft 9 45 and by a rod 12 to a shaft 13 driven by an internal combustion engine, said member 10 being relatively angularly adjustable relative to said shaft 13.

The timer shaft 9 is shown as provided with a cam 14 engageable with a pivoted member or lever 15 to move the same in proper cyclic synchronism with the engine.

member 15 is piv on the plate 7 and has a recess 17 on side.

A fixed contact This mounted on a pin 16 its under otally 18 is mounted on a screw 19 carried in a bracket member 20 secured by screws 21 to the similarly secured Each of these br from the plate 7, nection with the plate 7 and a bracket 23 is to the plate by screws 24. ackets is suitably insulated as shown in Fig. 3 in conbracket 23, by bushings 25 of insulating material surrounding the screws 21 or 24: and washers 26 of insulating material, one disposed and the other adjacent a top metal washer 27.

A movable contact member 23, which preferably consists of a spring 29, to which spring members 31 riveting, 18 secured The member 31 preferably has a screw 30. hooked end 31,

constructions, to engage the end 32 under operating conditions tact point is mounted on the spring and 32 are secured as by to the bracket 23 by a in accordance with known of the spring and the conand is adapted to engage the contact 18.

A shiftable member 34 is pivotally connected by a pin 3 pin 37 mounted o 5 to a lever 36 pivoted on a n the plate 9. The member 34 works through the recess 17 in the lever 15 and between said lever and the contact member 28; a pin 38 ofinsulating material carried by said member 34 engaging the face 39 of the lever 15 at of said contact at one end and the part 31 its other end. The lever 36 may be moved manually or under the action of a suitable spee d-responsive device to shift the position of the pin 38 relative to the lever 15 and contact 28 The spring tact member against the member exerts a tension on the contending to urge the same 34 which in turn moves the lever 15 into position for engagement by the cam l i.

Vith this cons 9 is rotated in cyclic sequence as the timer shaft by the engine truction,

in aclockwise direction, the cam 14 at the desired time acts upon the lever 15, swinging it outwardly and thereby swinging the member 34 outwardly an d thus moving the contact adjacent said plate member 28 to bring the contact points 18 and 33 together and exert a yielding, closing pressure thereon until the lobe of the cam passes the lever 15, at which time the tension of the spring 29 moves the contacts out of circuitclosing engagement and swings the member 34 and lever 15 inwardly toward the shaft 9. A stop-pin 15 mounted on the plate 9 may be used to limit the inward swinging movement of the lever 15. With this mode of operation in mind it will be noted that when the pin 38 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the contact 33 will only engage the contact 18 for a brief interval, due to the fact that the pin 38 is then only moved through a relatively small arc'by the lever 15. If, however, the lever 36 is swung inwardly toward the shaft 9 from the position shown, thereby moving the pin 38 farther out on the surface 39 and thus increasing the effective angle of movement of the lever 15, said lever, under the action of the cam 14, will act sooner on the part 31 of the contact 28 and will move away later, thereby increasing or prolonging the time the contacts are engaged and thus the relative timing intervals will increase as the pin 38 is moved toward the-free end of said lever 15. be varied so that the actual timing period is substantially the same for a wide range of engine speeds or said interval may be varied with the speed and consequently the quantity of fuel, controlled by the electromagnetically-operated device controlled by this switch mechanism, may be kept substantially constant or varied with the engine speed. It is desirable, however, to cut down the fuel quantity after a predetermined high speed or maximum speed of the engine has been attained and for this purpose the end portion 40 of the lever 15 is rounded off so thatwhen the pin 38 is moved to av position adjacent said end the contact 28 has to be moved through a greater distance so that it does not engage the contact 18 for as long a period as previously and finally as the movement of said pin along said curved portion continues the distance the contact member 28 is moved through by said lever 15 is not great enough to bring the contact points 33 and 18 together and hence the supply of current to the fuel-feeding control devices is cut off and the engine slows down. 7

In order to fix the time at which the circuitclosing periods or fuel-feeding periods take place, the casing 6 may be manually adjusted angularly relative to the shaft 11 and to provide for this adjustment I show the lower end of the casing provided with a hub 41 through which the shaft 13 extends and fitting in a bore 42 in a fixed support 43 which carries screws 44 frictionally engaging in an annular groove 45 in said hub.

For adjusting the time and duration of the circuit-closing period under the action of Thus, the timing interval can a speed-responsive device, I prefer to use the construction shown in Figs. 2.to 4, inclusive.

Slidably mounted on the shaft 9 are a pair of flanged collars 46 and 47', formed in one piece or secured together. A bell crank lever 48, pivotally mounted on a shaft 49 suitably supported by the casing 6, has its forked end 50 provided with the usual pins 51 engaging in the groove of the collar 46 while its other end 52 extends through a slot 53 in the plate 7' and engages a screw 54iadjustably mounted in the intermediate portion of the lever 36 and held in adjusted position by a locknut 55. The screw 54 is normally urged against the lever 48 by a spring 56 secured at one end to the lever 36 and at the other end to a pin on the plate 7.

The collar 46 is adapted to be moved 1on gitudinally on the shaft 9 under the action of any suitable governor. As herein shown the rod 12 extends loosely through a bore 57v in the shaft 13 and has governor slidably mounted thereon urged to their inner positions each interposed between one and normally by sprin 's 59' of the weights and anadjustable nut 60, held in adjusted.

position on the rod 12 by a locknut 61. Each weight 58 has a rod 62 secured to it by a pin 63 and extends through and isslidably in the other weight" mounted in a bore 64 which with the rod 12 keeps the weights in proper alinement and also acts to shift themember 10 as hereinafter described. p

The weights 58 move outwardly along the rod 12 against the action of the springs 59 when the speed of the shaft 13 is sufficient to overcome their tension, as is usual, and for transmitting the motion of the weights into reciprocating movement of the collar 46- said weights have trackways 65 formed in their opposite sides in which rollers 66 carried by lever arms 67 work, the arms for each weight being secured to a shaft 68 journalled in uprights 69 on a suitably said shafts 68 each having lever arms 71 secured thereto and working in the groove of the collar 47, each set of lever arms 67 and 71 and shaft 68 forming a bell crank lever connection between one of the weights 7 58 and the collar 47. The outward movement of the collars 46 and 47 under the action of the weight 58 as the speed of the engine increases will act to swing the lever 36 toward the shaft 9 and, as previously bolt 75 mounted in'a tubular screw 76 adjustably secured in an extension 77 of the casing 6 whereby turning said screw relative to said casing will serve to vary the tension of thespring 74 and hence impose a greater weights 58 plate 70 pinned or otherwise secured to rotate with the shaft 13,

provided with pins 72 or less force to the movement of the collars 46 and 47 by the governor weights 68.

In their initial position the collar 47 rests upon the upper tubular extension 78 of the coupling member 10 into which the shaft 9 extends and is secured by the pin 11.

For automatically adjusting the angular advance or retard of the shaft 9 relative to the shaft 13 the coupling member 10 has radially disposed slots 7 9 formed therein in line with the bore 57 so that said member may move angularly relative to said shaft and the rod 12. For producing this movement said member has oppositely disposed forked portions 80 providing slots in which pins 81, respectively mounted on the rods 62, work so that as the weights 68 move outwardly on an increase of engine speed the pins 81 move outwardly and acting on the forked portions 80 swing the coupling member 10 and hence the shaft 9 and cam 15 in a clockwise direction so that the cam 14 will engage the member 15 to close the switch contacts earlier in the engines cycle, the coupling member 10 being suitably recessed as at 82 to permit free movement relative to the rods 62.

From the foregoing it will be noted that I have provided a switch mechanism in which the relative periods of duration of the circuit-closing periods may be readily varied either manually or under governor control and that the timing of such periods may also be varied through the action of the same governor.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

WVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In control switch mechanism, the combination of a pair of relatively movable contacts, a lever associated with one of said contacts to move the same, engine-controlled means for actuating said lever, and a shiftable member interposed between said lever and said contact for varying the action of said lever on said contact to vary the relative duration of the circuit-closing period of said contacts.

2. In control switch mechanism, the com bination of a fixed contact, a spring contact member, a lever associated with said spring contact member to move the same, enginecontrolled means for actuating said lever, and a shiftable member interposed between said lever and said spring contact for varying the action of said lever on said contact to vary the relative duration of the circuitclosing period of said contacts.

3. In control switch mechanism, the combination of a pair of relatively movable contacts, a lever associated with one of said contacts to move the same, engine-controlled means for actuating said lever, a shiftable member interposed between said lever and said contact for varying the action of said lever on said contact to vary the relative duration of the circuit-closing period of said contacts, and governor-controlled means for shifting said shiftable member.

1. In control switch mechanism, the combination of a pair of relatively movable contacts, a lever associated with one of said contacts to move the same, engine-controlled means for actuating said lever, a shiftable member interposed between said lever and said contact for varying the action of said lever on said contact to vary the relative duration of the circuit'closing period of said contacts, governor-controlled means for shifting said member, said lever being so constructed and arranged that as said governor shifts said member under a predetermined speed the circuit-closing periods are diminished and finally cut out at a predetermined maximum speed.

5. In control switch mechanism, the combination of a pair of relatively movable contacts, a lever associated with one of said contacts to move the same, a timing cam to operate said lever, a shiftable member interposed between said lever and said contact for varying the action of said lever on said contact, an engine-driven shaft, a coupling between said shaft and said cam adjustable angularly relative to said shaft, a governor provided with rods having a pin and slot connection with said coupling to move the same, as the speed of the engine increases, to vary the time of action connecting said governor to said shiftable member to vary its position relative to said lever to vary the duration of action of said switch.

In testimony whereof, I afIiX myfignature.

LOUIS O. F ENCH.

of the switch, and means 

